


Stage Fright

by awgaskarth0805



Category: All Time Low (Band)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:06:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24429205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awgaskarth0805/pseuds/awgaskarth0805
Summary: When Alex gets nervous about opening for Blink, Jack reminds him of something that happened on the night of their first real show ever.
Kudos: 4





	Stage Fright

“Hey, where’s Alex? We go on in, like, ten minutes. This show is kind of a big deal, he can’t be missing like this,” Rian said, looking at the time on his phone. He was sitting on a couch in one of the green rooms of the venue they were about to play.   
This would be their first show on their new tour, where they were opening for Blink-182 on their arena tour. Obviously, this was a big deal to all of them, and they’d spent so much time practicing so it could all be as perfect as possible. Not only did they not want to let down their heroes, but they’d be playing the biggest rooms they’d ever played at this point in their career, which was very daunting for the four of them.  
“I haven’t seen him since we finished sound check, when he said he wanted to be in one of the green rooms alone for a bit,” Zack replied.  
“I know he said he was tired, but there’s no way he’s still asleep. Do you guys think he’s sick or something?” Jack asked his friends.  
“On the first day of a new tour? That’s unlikely, even for him. We need to find him,” Zack pointed out.  
“I’ll call him,” Rian decided, dialing Alex’s number in his phone. After a few rings, it went to voicemail.  
“He didn’t answer?” Zack asked when Rian put his phone back down.  
“Nope, this is really weird,” Rian replied.  
“I’m going to try to find him, I’ll meet you guys by the stage entrance with Alex, once I find him,” Jack stated, standing up.  
“Okay, just try to be fast. We don’t have much time,” Zack said as Jack walked out of the green room. As he started down the hall, he realized that he didn’t now which green room Alex was in.   
Eventually, he found a member of their touring crew, and figured that asking him about Alex might be worth a shot.  
“Hey, have you seen Alex, man?” Jack asked, tapping the crew member on the shoulder.  
“I think the last place I saw him was in the green room at the end of the hallway on the right. Hey, you guys are due on in about ten minutes, you all need to be stage ready as soon as possible,” the crew member pointed out, looking at the time on his watch.  
“Believe me, I know. Thanks for the help, we’ll be ready on time, don’t worry,” Jack said, unsure if he was really assuring the crew member or himself of that.   
Before the crew member got a chance to reply, Jack was quickly walking down the hallway, eventually reaching the last dressing room on the right side of the hallway. Jack knocked on the door, but after not hearing a response, he opened the door, and was surprised to not see Alex on the couch.  
“Alex, are you in here?” Jack asked, raising his voice some. He still didn’t get a response, which worried him, since they had to be at the stage entrance in just minutes.   
Jack started to look around the room, and eventually realized a door on the other side of the room was shut, and there was light coming out from underneath of the door. Figuring that Alex had to be in that other room, Jack rushed to the door, and opened it without knocking, surprised to see Alex sitting on the floor, in front of the toilet with his arms wrapped around his stomach, and an anxious look on his face. Jack took a seat next to his friend, then put a hand to Alex’s back.  
“Alex, what’s going on? Are you sick or something?” Jack asked, as Alex turned his head to look at Jack.  
“Jack, how’d you know I was in here?” Alex choked out, his voice shaking some.  
“Lucky guess. That doesn’t matter right now, why didn’t you tell us that you were feeling sick?” Jack continued, starting to feel worried about the show in front of them. Alex could perform when he was under the weather, but definitely not as well as he could when he was fine.  
“Well, I’m not sick, I’m just-“ Alex stopped himself, his eyes widening some.  
“You just what?” Jack tried, hoping that Alex would be able to pull himself together within the next eight minutes.  
“I’m just nervous. I’m freaking out, dude,” Alex admitted, his face starting to show sheer terror.  
“Dude, we’ve been playing shows for so many years, what’s there to be so nervous about?” Jack asked, letting Alex lean on him some.   
“Jack, what’s there to not be nervous about? First of all, we’re opening up for our heroes. I know that they’re our friends and everything, but it’s still a big deal. Also, this is the biggest venue we’ve ever played, there’s well over fifteen thousand people in that crowd,” Alex explained, his breathing starting to quicken.  
“Oh, I get it, you’re super anxious, and your stomach is hurting and everything. Man, this feels familiar,” Jack replied, lightly laughing.  
“What do you mean? I never get stage fright,” Alex countered.   
“Normally, that’s true, but you did at our first real show ever, remember?” Jack asked, as the two of them thought back to ten years ago.  
\----------------  
“Hey, I’m going to go find Alex, we all agreed to meet here ten minutes before call time. We have seven minutes and he’s normally never late,” a seventeen year old Jack said to Rian and Zack, as he walked away from the stage entrance, and towards the extra green room in the tiny venue in Baltimore that they were about to play.   
Jack walked into the room, and immediately heard gagging coming from the door that led to a bathroom. Starting to feel worried, Jack walked over to the door and opened it up to see Alex sitting on the floor, hugging himself as tears ran down his face.  
“Alex, what’s going on, dude? Are you okay?” Jack frantically asked, sitting on the floor next to Alex.   
“Jack, I don’t think I can go onstage,” Alex choked out, starting to cry more.  
“What do you mean? We’ve practiced for this night for weeks, it’s our first real show in a real venue, with a real audience. This is what’s going to really kickstart our band,” Jack pointed out, putting an arm around Alex.   
“Jack, I looked at the crowd, there’s so many people out there,” Alex said, looking even more panicked and freaked out.  
“Yeah, but that’s what we’ve always wanted, that’s why we all started this band in the first place, remember?” Jack asked back.  
“I know, and I’ve been just as excited as you all to play to a real crowd, not just to twenty or thirty of our friends, but I don’t think I can do this, Jack. There are so many people, and if I fuck something up, they’ll all see. I really don’t think I can do this, Jack, I’m sorry,” Alex explained, putting his head on his knees as he continued to cry.  
“I don’t believe this, you’re Alex, one of the biggest class clowns I’ve ever met; you even give me a run for my money. You love to entertain people by being funny at school, and everyone loves it. You’re a natural entertainer, dude, that’s what this show tonight is going to show you. You’re going to get on that stage and absolutely kill it, but if something happens, the three of us will be right up there with you. We’re all in this together,” Jack assured, hugging Alex closer to him.   
“Thank you for saying all of that, but I’m still really scared. Are you three just, like, not nervous for this at all?” Alex asked, looking over to Jack.  
“Of course we’re nervous, this is a new and scary thing for all of us, but we know that we’re all in this together, and that we’ve got each other if something happens. As the person who’s seen you play the most, I can promise you that you’ll be fine. Do you really think I would’ve asked you to start a band with me if I thought you were a shitty guitar player and singer?” Jack asked, making both of them laugh some.  
“I guess that’s a good point, but I’m still afraid of messing up,” Alex admitted.  
“Alex, every musician fucks up sometimes, but that’s totally okay. No one is perfect every time they play, and no one is expecting you to be the exception to that. We started this band because of Blink, a band that doesn’t take themselves too seriously. I remember that we promised each other that if we ever had a real shot like this, we’d do the same thing, we’d just have fun. Don’t stress yourself out, let’s just go have a great time with our friends on that stage, which is the entire point of this band,” Jack explained, sounding sincere.   
“You’re so right, about everything, man. Thank you for telling me all of this, I really appreciate it. Besides, if we weren’t good, we wouldn’t have even gotten this shot, and we all have each other, which really is all that matters. Thank you for talking some sense into me, dude,” Alex said, smiling at Jack.   
“I didn’t tell you anything that you didn’t already know. Hey, we’re due on in a couple of minutes, are you feeling okay enough to play?” Jack asked back.  
“I’m feeling much better now, let’s get to the stage before it’s too late!” Alex exclaimed, as the two of them got to their feet, then bolted over to where the stage was.  
\--------------  
“I know you remember that night from when we were just kids. You were so terrified to go onstage, you thought you’d fuck things up and do a bad job, but that show was amazing, I’d even say it was one of the best shows we played within the first five years of our career,” Jack stated.  
“I shouldn’t have even been nervous back then, we only played to a couple hundred kids. This is way different, dude, there’s so many people, and we’re opening for Blink, and-“ Alex started, before Jack cut him off.  
“Nope, this is going to be the same, in the sense that you’re nervous right now, but you’ll get out on that stage and do it, and everything will be fine. You’ll have a great time, and nothing bad will happen. Then, you’ll be up all night after the show, talking about how awesome the show was, even though the other three of us will probably just want to go to sleep. You got over your stage fright the night of our first real show, and things were fantastic. That same thing is going to happen now, but it’s going to be even better this time,” Jack stated.  
“What makes you think this time is going to be better?” Alex asked back.  
“Well, we’re not seventeen anymore, so we’re better at what we do. Also, I bet a bunch of the people in this arena are fans of ours, so that should help some. Alex, you’re one of the best musicians in our genre of music, as far as writing goes, but especially with performing. You love being onstage, and that shouldn’t go away just because we’re in an arena, if anything, it should make that love feel more intense. This is what we dreamt up in ninth grade, this moment t where we’re opening for Blink in arenas. Like I said ten years ago, the four of us are in this together, fi something happens, we’ve all got each other. This show is going to be great, but we need you for that to happen,” Jack said, looking at his friend.   
Alex stayed silent for a minute, before taking a deep breath.  
“How long until we’re due on?” Alex asked, looking at the floor.  
“About ten minutes,” Jack replied, looking at the time on his phone.  
“Shit, we have to get to the stage,” Alex said, making both of them smile.  
“So, you’re okay? You’re ready to perform?” Jack asked, sounding excited.  
“Absolutely, and it’s all thanks to you. You’re really good with this kind of stuff,” Alex replied.  
“I try to be, now, let’s go before we’re late!” Jack exclaimed, helping Alex up before the two of them ran over to the stage, just in time for them to go on.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, this is an idea I had about six months ago, that I finally decided to write! So, as I've been saying, I have exciting things planned leading up to my 200th fic, so starting on Sunday, I'll post my 190th fic, then will (hopefully) be posting daily, leading up to my 200th! I have some ideas planned out, but please still send in requests if you have them! I have an amazing request that will be my 200th fic, and I'm so excited to post so much soon, leading up to it, I think that fic will be really special. I hope you all liked this fic, and are excited for what I have planned! Also, thank you guys so much for reading my work, there's no way I'd have this many fics up if it weren't for you all, and all of the kindness you've shown me/my work since I started posting. I'll be back on Sunday with another new fic! Lots of love, Liv.


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